Hexagonal container having a handle formed from overlapping end flaps

ABSTRACT

A hexagonal one piece container for shipping rolls of light sensitive photocopy paper. The entire container is constructed from one integral sheet of material with the end walls formed by overlapping extensions of the sidewalls. Two of these overlapping extensions may be interlocked and slightly bowed to form a handle.

s Unite States atet 13559570 [72] Inventor Philip A. letruzzellis [56] References Cited [2]] A NO UNITED STATES PATENTS 22 F555! Jan. 13, 1969 2,355,730 8/1944 lnman 229 5213 [45] Patented Feb 2, 1971 2,468,123 4/1949 Shina 229/37 [73] Assignee Litton Business Systems hm 2,761,611 9/1956 Benschoter.. 229/37 Orange, NJ. 2,826,350 3/1958 Marx 229/37 a corporation of New York 2, ,850 3/1961 Mayer 229/37 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,429,884 1/1966 France 229/52B Primary ExaminerJoseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman 54] HEXAGONAL CONTAINER HAVING A HANDLE Att0rneysN0rman Friedman, Stephen E. Felclman, Morris 1.

Pollack, Arthur Groeninger and 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 229/37, ABSTRACT: A hexagonal one piece container for shipping 229/21, 5 2 rolls of light sensitive photocopy paper. The entire container is [51] Int. Cl B65d 5/02, constructed from one integral sheet of material with the end B65d 5/08, B65d 5/46 walls formed by overlapping extensions of the sidewalls. Two [50] Field of Search 229/37, 38, of these overlapping extensions may be interlocked and 52B, 21 slightly bowed to form a handle.

FIG. 2

PHILIP A.

INVENTOR PETRUZZELLIS ATTORNEY F'IC3.5

HEXAGONAL CONTAINER HAVING A HANDLE FORMED FROM OVERLAPPING END FLAPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In shipping photoconductive paper and other materials, which are used in roll form and are subject to deterioration by exposure to light, a container is needed, which is impervious to at the admission of light and constructed preferably from a single sheet of material so that it can be inexpensively and quickly assembled. It would be advantageous if the container were of approximately the same configuration as the rolls of paper so that there would be less wasted space and also less material used in construction.

Previously, containers used for shipping rolls of photocopy paper were of a square or rectangular configuration with the rolls positioned side by side. The construction was such that there was a substantial amount of wasted space since the container-s interior did not come close to approaching the circular configuration of the rolls of photocopy paper. This wasted space meant the use of more material to build the containers and thereby more expensive containers. There have been some attempts to make the configuration of the containers more closely conform to the shape of the rolls, however, in these cases the containers were not formed of integral material; the end walls were formed of separate pieces of material and fastened to the rest of the container. The separate construction of the end walls led to a substantially more costly construction and also the separate end walls. did not always fit properly enough to obtain the light-impervious construction needed.

Thus the need exists for a container which closely conforms to the configuration of circular rolls of photocopy paper and is constructed of an integral sheet of material so that it can be quickly assembled to provide an inexpensive lighttight enclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hexagonal container for the shipment of circular rolls of light sensitive material. The rolls are placed end to end in the container. The container including its end walls is formed from an integral sheet of material. The end walls are formed by overlapping extensions of the sidewalls to provide for lighttight construction and also to provide for ease in opening and closing the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall isometric view of the container of my invention showing the flaps which form the end walls.

FIG. 2 is a view of tee sheet of material which is used to form my container.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the container.

FIG. 4 is a broken away isometric view of an alternate mode of my container.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the container of FIG. 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION As shown in the drawings, the container is formed from a rectangular sheet 1 of material such as stiff cardboard or other suitable container material which is preferable scored so that it folds into seven rectangular sections (as shown in FIG. 2). Six of these sections 2 are of equal width and the seventh 3 is somewhat narrower. This latter section is secured to the first section of the other six as clearly shown in FIG. 2 to form the side walls of the container. Animal glue or other suitable adhesive is used 1 see these two sections together.

When these sections are secured together form a structure having a hexagonal cross-sectional area 4. The width of the walls is chosen so that the cross-sectional area of the container is only slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of a roll of paper 5 which is to be placed inside the container. To aid in determining the size of the container the distance from the inside midpoint of one sidewall to the inside midpoint of the opposite sidewalls 6 is chosen as substantially the same distance as the diameter of the roll of paper.

To complete the container, end walls 7 are formed from extensions 8 of the sidewalls. It will be appreciated that the end walls and the sidewalls are all formed from integral sheet of material shown in F IG. 2. These extensions of the sidewalls are rectangular in configuration and are the same width as the side walls but substantially shorter. They are severed along lines 9 so that they are only attached to the respective sidewalls at 10. Score lines or other indentations are formed at their junction with the sidewalls so that the flaps are folded over in an overlapping arrangement as shown in FIG. 3 to form the end walls. Suitable adhesive or other fastening means is used to hold the flaps together.

It will be appreciated that these flaps are long enough so that they will overlap with all the other flaps to form a complete end wall with no gaps. However, they are not so long that they extend beyond the opposite sidewall. The overlapping construction is particularly desirable since it provides a lighttight construction with a single integral sheet of material without the need for attaching or removing material from this integral sheet.

As to the lighttight construction, the overlapping arrangement provides double and triple layers of material throughout almost the entire area of the end walls. This is especially important at the edges 11 of the end flaps since this is the area most susceptible to light leakage. If the end flaps were shaped so that they merely abutted instead of overlapped, there would be a possibility of light leakage at the edges. However, with the present overlapping configuration this possibility is eliminated.

It will also be appreciated that the use of end flaps instead of separate walls permits the container to be easily reclosed after partial removal of its contents.

An alternative form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein two of the end flaps, 12 which are on opposite ends of the container from each other, are out along line 13 near the junction of the end flaps with the sidewalls, and then the section from the slit to the end of the flaps, on each side of each flap, is folded folded under the along lines 14 and 15. Each of the flaps is preferable scored to cause it to properly fold along these lines. The flaps when folded will form C- shaped channels. The channels are then interlocked as shown in FIG. 5 to hold the flaps together. Suitable securing material such as adhesive or other fastening means is applied to the flaps to secure them together to form a handle 16 for conveniently carrying the container.

In securing the channels together they are slightly bowed so that a human hand can be inserted beneath them for ease in carrying. It is noted that as with the remaining parts of the container the handle has been formed without the addition or removal of any material from the one integral sheet shown in FIG. 2.

It will be appreciated that the hexagonal container conforrns closely to the circular configuration of the rolls of paper being shipped and thereby provides for ease in shipment of a roll of copy paper. When it is desired to ship multiple rolls, the length of the sheet of material is simply increased by the length of each extra roll of copy paper. For convenience in illustration the dotted lines in FIG. 1 show two rolls l7 and 18 located inside the container.

It is noted that the container may be easily stacked and handled because of the hexagonal configuration.

It is thus apparent from the foregoing the the invention provides an easily and quickly constructed inexpensive container for the shipment of rolls of light-sensitive paper in endabutting fashion.

Specific embodiments of my invention have been illustrated, but the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made by one skilled in the art, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of My invention.

I claim:

1. An elongate container of polygon cross sectional outline formed of cardboard material. comprising:

an even number of at least six sidewalls of equal rectangular size;

end flaps extending from the sidewalls at opposite ends of 5 the container and being folded along fold lines defining the ends of the sidewalls thereby to form a composite end wall at each of the opposite ends of the container;

Two opposite ones of the flaps on at least one end of the container being interengaging to mutually form a carrying handle for the container; and

At least one of said handle forming flaps having a portion vided to fasten the interengaged flap portions together to form an integrated handle structure. 

1. An elongate container of polygon cross sectional outline formed of cardboard material, comprising: an even number of at least six sidewalls of equal rectangular size; end flaps extending from the sidewalls at opposite ends of the container and being folded along fold lines defining the ends of the sidewalls thereby to form a composite end wall at each of the opposite ends of the container; Two opposite ones of the flaps on at least one end of the container being interengaging to mutually form a carrying handle for the container; and At least one of said handle forming flaps having a portion folded into a C-shaped channel configuration, and the other handle forming flap having a portion reaching into said channel configuration and being interengaged therewith.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1, both said handle forming flaps having portions of C-shaped channel configuration, and one channel configuration reaching into the other.
 3. The container defined in claim 1, wherein means are provided to fasten the interengaged flap portions together to form an integrated handle structure. 